


A person's ideals; another's misery and perilous journey.

by DunEvenAtMe



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, DYNAMAX A D V E N T U R E S ~ !, Hopper has a space lizard, Sad Hopper, Victor suffers the Skyrim™ treatment, also sad scottish gal, it will get better i promise, or is he??, sad everything, vic's gone guys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:08:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27420220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DunEvenAtMe/pseuds/DunEvenAtMe
Summary: In short, Rose's plot to bring Galar a bright future had a very, very severe cost.
Relationships: Dande | Leon & Galar Gym Leaders, Dande | Leon & Hop, Dande | Leon & Masaru | Victor, Dande | Leon & Yuuri | Gloria, Hop & Galar Gym Leaders, Hop & Masaru | Victor, Hop & Yuuri | Gloria, Peony & Shakuya | Peonia, Peony &; Masaru | Victor, Yuuri | Gloria & Galar Gym Leaders, maybe?, more will be added - Relationship
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

"—LOOK OUT!"

And nothing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There were two distinct sounds he could distinguish; the irritating buzz on his ears and his very own heartbeat. He could see him in the distance; the red polo, the horribly unfitting beanie that held his hair together and those brown loafers that neatly enveloped his feet, along with the blue pants.

"Victor…?"

Nothing. The boy began to walk once no response was reciprocated.

"Victor!. . ."

Nothing. The walk soon turned into a sprint. Though, as much he ran, the distance seemed like it never change.

"VICTOR!" ~ Screamed the purple haired boy, yet.

Nothing. The boy's back was still turned toward the calling companion. The distance was shortening, slowly, but he felt like he was getting closer in this void-like ambience. After what it felt like hours, he swore his hand could reach to the brim of his shirt.

And once he tugged it.

"VICTOR!—"

He called.

"VICTOR!"

He screamed.

"Vic?. . . What?"

Wires. . . A curtain and the odd smell of what it seemed to be a clinic. ~ "The hell? Why am I in a hospital bed?"

It didn't take long before what he assumed to be the reason for his presence in the hospital to flare. In the form of the nastiest headache he swore he had in his entire life.

"My heaaad!— Wait. Bandages? What the hell. . ."

Alas, before he had the chance to try and go through these questions in his mind, a rather familiar face jolts from the side of the hospital's curtain.

"Oh my Arceus, HOP! You're awake!"

That would be Leon, his older brother and current holder of the champion title of the Galar region, gloved and bare hands clenching over the bar on the side of the bed, holding in the pure need to embrace his little brother.

"A—Are you alright? Oh Arceus, I thought I'd lost you! We'd lost you!" ~ Moments later, his mother would arrive, covering his mouth with both hands as she held a sigh of relieved shock.

"Oh my sweet baby!..."

"Mom! Lee?... What— What happened?"

His brother steps in shortly after his inquiry, the relieved smile quickly deforming into a frown. ~ "You… You don't remember?"

Hop's hazeled eyes soon followed his older brother's finger, pointing at a rather peculiar Poké Ball. And once he laid them over the sphere, everything made sense.

And a gnarly grief fell on the boy's chest.

"VICTOR! Where's Vic, Lee?! Mom?! _Where is he?!"_

Their response?

A grieving frown.

"No! I refuse to believe that! He's not!— He wouldn't—!"

~~~~~~~~~~

**The Darkest Day's Darkest Hour**

" _Live in Galar Network Channel, we're currently above Hammerlocke Castle's pinnacle, where the origin of the rampaging Dynamax Pokémon across the region is currently under battle against our undefeated Champion Leon! This unknown species of Pokémon's revival seems to be resulted from Chairman Rose's experiments concealed from the people of Galar according to both several sources and his speech moments before the Championship's final match between the prodigy challenger, Victor and our Champion._ "

It felt like a fever nightmare, if that's what you can call this. I. . . Remember being with my mate, Victor. We. . . Saw Lee trying to catch Eternatus. And failing. I remember Victor facing Eternatus. And defeating it!. . . Or so we thought.

" _What's this?! The creature's Dynamaxing?! Dear Arceus. Ladies and gentlemen, live from GNC, we see two brave young men fight tooth and nail against the gigantic Pokémon— What did you say, Jared? News flash: the Pokémon that is causing the Dynamax Rampage is known as Eternatus, the harbinger of the Darkest Day of long past. According to our source, Professor Magnolia's granddaughter dictated the Legendary Pokémon to be the birthplace of what we call the Dynamax Phenomenon. What's this?! Two beams of light crash into the helipad atop Hammerlocke Castle! Are. . ._

_Are those. . . **Wolves**?!"_

I remember Zamazenta on my side. And Zacian on Vic's. With them, I felt. . . Hope. Hope that we could defeat Eternatus. 

And then. . . And— And then!. . .

" **HOP LOOK OUT**!"

I feel Victor shoving me away from one of Eternatus's attacks. And from where I stood, an explosion. I. . .

I couldn't see Victor anywhere.

" ** _VICTOR!—_** "

I see Zacian and Zamazenta. They were. . . Beckoning me toward Eternatus. It was weak and defenseless.

It was my shot, I. . . I threw my Poké Ball at it. I didn't even know if I caught it or not, I had lost my senses.

Victor. . .

" _Live at Galar Network Channel, we see a miracle! Eternatus has been captured, I repeat: Eternatus has been captured by a young man! However. . ._

_It's with a heavy heart that I announce that Victor, the challenger from Postwick, is nowhere to be seen_."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"HOP! I heard Hop was awake, where's that pinecone-headed lad?!

That would be Gloria, Victor's twin sister. She was a challenger like his sibling, but bailed out after realizing that it "didn't feel right". Her words. Extroverted and fearless, unlike her twin, she was ruthless and didn't show an ounce of hesitation whenever she saw something that wasn't right. Unfortunately, she was with her Mother back in Postwick when the Tragedy happened.

"Gloria?. . ."

Said the purple haired boy, mouth agape for a whopping second. ~ ". . . Gloria. . . " ~ … Before his face was being washed in grieving tears. ~ "I—I—I tried my best! I tried to stop E-Eternatus but Vic— b-but Vic!—"

" ** _SHUT YA TRAP!_** "

Gloria's loud scream echoed through the room and then some, shoving Leon out of her path before embracing her friend, her face, too, wet from the many tears she had already shed. ~ "You're okay! I'm so glad you're okay Hop!"

Then, nothing but a silence so deafening, one could hear the several sobs and wails within the hospital room.


	2. Partner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leon's still a Champion, the Gym Leaders try their best and something good happens for a change.

The Championship Match was inevitably canceled. With Victor giving no sign of being alive, Leon was able to keep his title as Champion for yet another year. Yet, even the once proud man felt it was the worst victory yet.

A month had passed since the tragedy and Gym Leaders across the region had already expressed their sentiment toward his family and friends.

Milo with his herd of Wooloo, trying his best to cheer them up with the fluffy horde of rolling Pokémon.

Nessa herself had invited Gloria and her mother to try the latest fashion.

Kabu took Hop away for practice. Not Pokémon battling. Just exercise.

Bea, too, decided to follow in the Fire Gym Leader's steps, this time teaching them fighting stances while the young boy Allister was in the sidelines, cheering for them in his silent voice. Alas, the same boy had a curious smile beneath the mask.

Opal and, surprisingly, Bede took Hop and Gloria into a marathon of sugary treats, along with some quality tea. Both their mothers, while still sulking for the loss of the boy, couldn't help themselves but to curve their lips a little when they beheld the pair devouring the tables, worried that they'll get rotten teeth.

Gordie and Melony would comfort them respectfully; the cool-acting man distracted Hop through cool poses while Melony took Gloria to the local hot spring in Circhester, sharing rather embarrassing tales of the Rock-type specialist during his youth, somehow enough to make the lass chuckle softly.

Marnie and Piers would do their best, with the older sibling singing so proudly toward the pair while Marnie and the entirety of Spikemuth and Team Yell backed them up with moral support.

Finally, Raihan would bring the two into an iconic selfie, the photo blasting the social media with #StayStrongHop and #StayGloriousGloria. The pair would be in the historical room with the artisanal tapestries telling regarding the calamity of the Darkest Day.

Finally, Postwick came. And to the purple haired boy's surprise, both Leon and Gloria would barge into the room.

"The search and rescue team have found something within the rubble on the top of Hammerlocke Castle. I. . . Believe you'll want to see it." ~ Spoke Leon with a rather gentle voice, worried that his younger brother would react negatively to his words.

"It's not Vic." ~ Interjected the twin with a frown, yet determined at the same time. ~ "But. . . I think he'd like you to keep him. After all, he survived the blast!"

"Him?" ~ Questioned Hop, but not for long once he was presented with a Poké Ball, or rather, a Great Ball specifically. It earned Hop a gasp.

"This is!. . . This is Vic's—"

"His Salamence, yeah." ~ Butted in Gloria, again. ~ "It's incredible, right? That explosion, everyone thought that silly goof was gone with his partner Pokémon and yet. . . He survived.

_ His Salamence survived, Hop. . . _ "

It was too good to be true, said a traitorous voice in the back of his head.

He remembers his Salamence ever since he was a pesky little Bagon egg Victor had received from "an acquaintance", his words. Pest kept rummaging through Hop's bag for those berries while the pair was distracted with their chats and strategies. Alas, the rascal was powerful, even more once he evolved into the incredible Salamence that Hop currently had in hand.

"How do you kno—"

"We went to a Pokémon Center right after it was found. The capsule is perfectly functioning and the Pokémon is in awfully good health." ~ Spoke Leon, relief washing through his mind. ~ "It. . . It may not be Victor, but maybe, just maybe.

Maybe. . . He lives through him."

The purple haired trainer didn't wait any longer, even going outdoors in socks. Gloria and Leon looked at each other in shocked wonder before they bolted after Hop.

He would be standing on the backyard, Great Ball in hand. His lungs swell as he breathed in deep, soon screaming from the very top—

" **COME ON OUT!** "

And there it was. Red, vibrant and large wings, blue scales adorned across a massive, lustrous body. A grey torso, almost like armor and those sharp eyes that intimidated anyone that stood in it's path. The beast would be turned around in hopes to see his trainer, only to reveal a mixture of a shocked expression and a menacing scowl when, in fact, it was not his caretaker and tamer, but rather the friend Victor was loyal too.

"Hey. . . Buddy. You remember me?"

Cautious, Hop approached the mighty dragon while both Leon and Gloria had their Charizard and Froslass in their hands respectively in case it went wrong.

Only to be sorrowful once the dragon rested his forehead to a bawling boy, both hands clutching onto the Salamence as if he would disappear like his best friend, Victor.

"I miss him, Glo. . . _ I really do _ !"

"You don't have to tell me twice, dummy. . ." ~ Sighed the female twin, yet on the verge of breaking down as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> salamence is best lizard and no one can stop me


	3. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ya boi versus an uncharted world, a father with an attitude and a daughter that is too like her dad even though she denies it half the time

_ "Hey, Hop?" _

_ "What's up, mate?" _

_ "I… Never mind." _

_ "Eh? What're you on about, Victor?" _

_ "I—It's nothing! Swear!" _

_ "Corviknight, stand by." ~ With a blue flare, the prideful corvid released a mighty squawk upon being released into the field, sitting right behind it's tamer. _

_ "Ugh… It's just I've been thinking of getting a Ralts." _

_ "Wait, really? That's it?" _

_ "You don't think it's too girly?" _

_ "Ehhhh?! Nonsense, mate! Ralts's a pretty sweet Pokémon with tons of potential!" _

_ "But Gardevoir's… Pretty effeminate, y'know?" _

_ "Then hope it's a male so you can slap a Dawn Stone on the rascal!" _

_ "... You're actually right. ALRIGHT! Let's catch a Ralts then!" _

~~~~~~~~~~~

" **HOP!** "

Heavy breathing, he'd clutch a hand over his blue shirt. Wait…

"The hell? I had a red polo just now…"

"Finally awake, eh? Gotta say, that was one hell of a nasty bashin' onto your and your pal's noggings!"

"Huh?..." ~ A fuzzy figure looks at him from above, yet one name immediately came to his mind. ~ "Mr. Chairm—"

"Oi, brat. Don't call me the name you gonna call me. Name's Peony and, in fact, am that rascal's younger brother." ~ Spoke the proud figure, Peony as he entitled himself.

"Anyway… How in the bloody heck did you end up in the Crown Tundra, kid? Found you and your Gallade passed out in the snow, along with a nasty bruise on your nogging."

"Crown… what? Wait, I swore I was in—"

"Galar, eh? And you still are, kid. But uhh… There's an if. Been trying to contact the mainland for years now. Phone's garbage to get in touch with there and the cell tower's only so good as to broadcast through this region. I ain't an expert, but—"

"Please, slow down!" ~ Asked a bothered Victor. ~ "How long have I been out?!"

"Kid.

You've been napping for  _ three weeks _ ."

"Three  **_weeks?!_ ** " ~ And just like that, panic settled in. ~ "Oh man, but the championship match and Hop and MomAndGloriaOhMyArceus _ EternatusWhat _ **_everHappenedToEternaTUSOHNO_ ** —"

"Oi, oi!" ~ Two hands would bring Victor back to Earth, massive ones at that. ~ "Blimey… What are ye even blabberin' abo—"

"My Pokémon! Where's my—"

"They're right there." ~ A gloved hand pointed at the desk on the other side of the room. Pretty fancy too. ~ "All five of 'em are—"

"They were  **six.** I had six. Oh, oh dear. No, no nono _ nonono  _ Salamence, where are you partner? Oh no I lost my Salamence, oh Arceus I lost my  _ Salamence. _ "

" _ Sheesh, this one's a handful. _ " ~ So thought Peony, yet not long did he take to put on a confident smile. ~ "Don't worry, kid; Peony here's got your back! We'll find your partner faster than you can say "My Arceus on a hike"! But first, you gotta tell me how the bloody heck did you get in this forsaken place!"

"But my Sal—"

"No buts! Salamence are mighty creatures and if ya raised one fine, then a snowy breeze won't bother that majestic rascal!"

Unamused, Peony did set a good point. He knew his Salamence was a powerful ally, even stronger than his Cinderace, might he add! Reluctant, he sat back on the bed, soon retelling the most recent events of… Well, of three weeks past.

~~~~~~~~~~

"The hell you doin', big guy?!"

Hop would be shouting from below to a rather disobedient dragon, who made the roof of his home its nest. Refusing to come into the Poké Ball, Salamence did three things. Eat. Sleep.

And stare south of Postwick with attentive eyes. As if he was waiting.

"Any idea on why he's acting like a prick?" ~ Gloria would arrive moments after, bag in hand and it could be a poster of Marnie sticking out of it.

"Nope. He only moves when it smells food, duh. Or to sleep. Else it just… Stares into the mountains."

"Why, that's because beyond there is the Crown Tundra." ~ Gloria's mother would come next, earning a pair of gasps from the younger pair.

"Mum? Why did I never hear about that?"

"Because there's little we know 'bout it, no? A few years ago, an incident caused the tundra to be inaccessible. Something volatile, according to the experts, even though there was alot more into something that's merely "volatile". The rail tracks became frozen solid in the span of seconds on the first night and in the next morning, they were nothing but shattered remains. Then, anomalies would occur. Reports of people seeing into the other world and even witnessing a mere Nidoran turning into a full grown Nidoking in the span of seconds, as if time was skipped. Some even reported fissures across the skies of the tundra. Everything led into complete isolation between Galar and the region south there, yet the inhabitants refused to simply return to the homeland."

"And how d'you that, eh Mum?" ~ Lifting a brow, Gloria would inquiry with suspicion on her voice.

Only to receive an amused hum. ~ "How do you think I got those eggs, hmm? That mighty fine Garchomp that you got and the Salamence up above; they're both from the Crown Tundra, sweetie. One of the researchers I'm familiar with had found them lost in the snow, quite dormant and cold. It was gut instinct that they took them back into Galar. Minutes later and they were asking if they could trust me with the pair, the same that you and your brother have now, mature and strong."

"Well… Not Vic since… He really isn't around." ~ Hop sighed from the back, head hanging low. A movement that the two women followed in sadness. ~ "A-Anyway, I'ma feed my partner Pokémon, it's lunch time after all."

And as if it was summoned from thin air, the ground shook lightly due to the abrupt landing of that mighty Salamence the moment "food" was mentioned.

"Oh now you hear me, you big glutton!"

The beast huffed jokingly, acting offended. Yet, it ws enough to make the three of them laugh.

~~~~~~~~~

"The hell was he thinking? And your Gallade just… Used Teleport moments before you got struck by that laser? 'Cause, y'know.

The move doesn't exactly work like that!"

"You're telling me?! I had no idea this frozen hell existed!" ~ What was a calm sharing of thoughts quickly became an argument between the two of them and boy, if looks could faint, both of them would be mopping the floor with their unconscious bodies! ~ "It could have been the beam itself that distorted Gallade's psychic strength. Plus, we were in a Dynamaxed environment with the very being that caused the Dynamax Phenomenon, so… Maybe?"

"Guess yer right, kid. Sounds like a pretty mad tale though. But y'know? I'll believe. Rose didn't strike me as the fair kinda guy. To think he'd almost destroy the entire region…"

"Mhm… So, why can't we access the mainland, again?"

"Oh, yeah. That's 'cause o'—"

"IT'S KYUREM!" ~ Another figure appears, busting through the door of the cabin. Female, somewhat Victor's age, if not a tad older. ~ "Kyurem's why the train tracks froze up so often!"

"The hell you sayin', sweet Nia?! You do know that:

1: Kyurem's a Legendary Pokémon;

2:  **It's Unovan.** "

"It's insane, but trust me, Pops; I saw it with my own eyes! A Dynamaxed Kyurem! It's why the train tracks aren't getting any progress! The darn thing keeps using Glaciate to regulate it's body temperature and with that size and Dynamax energy, it surely's deepfreezing the iron enough to make it easy to snap! And— Oh, you're finally awake."

"I have an unnerving feeling of Dejá vu… But what's a Kyurem?"

"Your guess's as good as mine, kiddo." ~ Peony butted in, removing the hard cap to rub the shaved up head. ~ "Kyurem's one of the Legendary Dragons from Unova region. It's considered to be the husk of what the folklore calls it the "Original Dragon". Split apart from Reshiram and Zekrom due to the war between two brothers, the ice dragon remained in the background, awaiting to return to it's former glory… Or sumthin' like that. Never seen one with my eyes, but I can't go and doubt my good girl Nia now! Oh yeah, that's my daughter, Peonia. Nia, this is uhh…"

"Victor. Pleasure."

"Neat to meet ya, Vic! Anyway. We gotta do something, Dad; you're the Steel-type Gym Leader; you got an edge over Kyurem!"

"Nia, sweetie, it's a Legendary Pokémon for a reason. Sure, I'm ultra-mega awesome!... But I have my limits! Can't just go there, throw my Copperajah and bash his nogging like "OI! STOP DOING YOUR THING THAT YOU SHOULD DO!", y'get it?"

"Then we raid them!"

"Y'seriously suggestin' he hit 'im with a Dynamax Battle?! Againat a  **Dynamax Legendary?!** "

"Duh! Gosh, you're so thick sometimes, Dad! And y'know what it meeeeans~"

"Nia, don't."

"Daddy…"

"Nia, desist that thought!"

"Can we go…"

"Nia, what?" ~ Asked a confused Victor.

"Nia,  **NO.** "

"To a **_Dynamax Adventure?!~_ ** "

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Too soon?
> 
> lol nah also i like the idea of crown tundra being x10 more mysterious. like cmon
> 
> a bunch of legends stuck in some hole's prone to go bad


	4. Legendary

A year.

An actual, freaking year it has been.

Hop stood on what were once the ruins of an incident that shook the entire region in its core; the pinnacle of Hammerlocke.

Where he and Vic fought Eternatus.

The same Eternatus that was soon being released from it's Poké Ball.

It didn't matter the times he's done it. The feeling of seeing the creature always made him grow a slump in his throat. It kinda choke him.

"H… Hey! You, uhh. . .

You remember this place, right?"

No response. The otherworldly being remained observant toward his trainer, the red energy emanating from its tórax being just as unnerving.

"Hahah… I guess not. Then again, I can't really speak Pokémon! But, anyway.

This is where my best friend disappeared. Not died.

Disappeared."

The tanned young turned to face the clear sunset skies of Galar, with clouds gaining a wondrous red taint.

"Did you know that Red's the one color that travels the farthest?" ~ Blurted the young man toward the enormous being. ~ "It's why the sunset is reddish. It makes me think.

Do you think Vic's just, really, really far away? Ever since they found his perfectly intact Salamence on that day, that's been bugging the heck outta me. All that wreckage, but the capsule's just fine? Kinda driving me pants here!"

"Probably luck. Not gonna lie, small Leon, I've seen some pretty amazing stuff happening lately!" ~ Raihan would speak, slowly walking up the stairs toward the rooftop, soon whistling in amusement upon laying his eyes on the Legendary beast. ~ "So that's how it looks like? Eternatus, I mean."

"Oh, Raihan! What're you doing up here?!" ~ A surprised Hop would inquire, only to receive a small chuckle.

"This is my spot, what'd you mean? Plus, the people down there are kinda freaking out at the fact of a 65 feet tall lizard looming above Hammerlocks again. You gotta set an example now, lil' Hopper.

Y'know, being the Champion and all that."

Hearing that alone was both embarrassing and irking. Even though he fought through hell to get that far, even though he took down his own brother on a fair match.

He still believed this wasn't his title.

"O—Oh, uhh… My bad!" ~ Shouted the young one from above, though unsure if his voice was heard. Well.

At least until Eternatus itself unleashed a mighty roar.

"Guess the big lug ain't gonna stir up any more messes from now on. It's taken a liking to you, Hop."

"And, pray tell, how do you know that?" ~ Another question that was received by the same cocky smirk.

"Give me some credit, lil' guy! I train dragon types long before you even were born. I grew to understand them. Most of the time it's accurate!"

"What do you _ meanmostofthetime? _ "

"Er, let's just say that you might become it's next menu otherwise."

"Don't pull my leg like that! Tryna scare me off my boots. . . " ~ Raihan would laugh in pleased joy.

"Heh… Anyway, am glad I came across you Did you know about the news? Crown Tundra's train tracks are completed. Chairman Leon's gonna see through it's opening ceremony."

"Okay, now I gotta be there! I haven't seen Lee in decades!"

"Dude, you kicked his arse a whopping three months ago."

"Doesn't mean I won't miss him! Am still his #1 fan!"

Raihan would softly scoff another laugh. ~ "Yeah, right. In any case, am gonna skip that trip. Seriously can't handle the cold. I'll be off now. Try to not stay in here after closing hours; doubt people won't notice your huge space lizard."

"Right!" ~ Hop wanted to thank the older trainer, but alas, he was swift in being off his eyesight. ~ "Crown Tundra, huh. . . Sounds like fun, right?!"

~~~~~~~~

**_One year ago_ **

"THIS IS BY NO MEANS  **_F U N_ ** !" ~ Shouted one panicky Victor as he rolls away from an incoming Ice Beam from the enormous Legendary Pokémon, Kyurem! ~ "Pray tell you're doing alright, Gallade!" ~ The Blade Pokémon looks toward his trainer reassuringly after evading the beam of freezing temperature before glaring at the colossal beast, accompanied by Peonia's glorious Tyrantrum and Peony's formidable Aggron.

And of some guy's Mantine. ~ "Bloke's yet to do anything useful other than scratch it with  _ Dive _ ! Sweet Nia, why d'ya bring that dunce?!"

"Oh, dear father, you shouldn't underestimate your sweet daughter's option for company! Tyrantrum! Give 'em a prime taste of your  **_Head Smash_ ** _! _ "

A mighty roar from the primal beast would follow the slowly emanating red aura of fierceness that glows brighter with every given stomp toward the Kyurem. What it seemed like a mere headbutt, the damage became quite evident when the ancient dinosaur slammed its head right on the Legendary's own, the loud impact being both seemingly and soundly powerful enough to make it reel back at a formidable distance! ~ "Head on, partner! We've got it on the ropes!"

A spine-chilling screech from the fantastic Dynamaxed Legend echoed through the entirety of one of the Max Lair's chambers, hinting one thing and one thing only.

It was  _ desperate. _ Mist slowly emaciated into an alarming cold fog. Before long, it was Peony who'd release a distressed shout. ~ "Get your Tyrantrum out of there! It's gonna use an ultra-mega-powerful  **Glaciate** !"

"It's too close; he won't make it out of there in time!—" ~ It was right as Peonia spoke her last word before the impact became visible. Within moments, the air surrounding both Tyrantrum and the other Pokémon froze into sharp pillars of ice that rapidly fell over the entire squad of Raiders.

Only to shatter in midair, as they collided to an impenetrable barrier. ~ "Eh?! That's Wide Guard— Wait.

**_You?!_ ** " ~ A collective set of shocked eyes were directed toward the 4th trainer, who'd tilt their head in wonder, only for Peonia to break through their momentaneous surprise. ~ "HAH! I knew I could count on you, Mr. Martin! Now, let's wrap this battle up! C'mon Tyrantrum, give that dunce-looking bloke another taste of your  **Head Smash!** "

" **Close Combat** , Gallade! We gotta make this one count!" ~ Victor's shout echoes through the Lair, with Gallade nodding into a full on sprint toward the Dragon-type. Peony wouldn't be standing there watching, either.

"A'ight, ye kids show mettle. Give 'em hell, Aggron;  **Head Smash** right into that big bloke's noggin'!"

The trio of Pokémon rush toward the enormous Legendary, while the same continues it's onslaught of  **Glaciate** , albeit doing no good due to the continues usage of  **Wide Guard** coming from the gentleman Martin from the distance. And, before long, the excess of Dynamax energy would dissipate into a loud blast, as Kyurem shows a sign of falter.

Victor didn't hesitate; charging a Poké Ball with his Wishing Star's energy before throwing the now giant capsule toward the weakened beast, only for it to be successfully captured.

"Oi. Wait a freakin' second, lad. You didn't just  _ catch a freakin'  _ **_Kyurem_ ** _!? _ "

"Eh? What does that mean?" ~ His wonder was met with outraged surprise.

"What does that me—  **What does that mean?! Kid;**

**You caught a Legendary Pokémon!!** That's ultra-mega impressive!" ~ Peonia stood a step behind her old man, nodding with a satisfied grin.

"But, y'know; better that than let it run around, Pops! Look on the bright side of things; the train tracks are finally going to happen! We'll get into the main land!"

"Oh yeah, the heat o' the moment kinda made me use Amnesia for a second! Congrats, kid; you just made both an ultra-mega-powerful ally AND solved the mystery behind the oddities of Crown Tundra!" ~ Peony finally showed his iconic smirk, soon turning toward the nearest path for the exit. ~ "Though. . . How in the blimey hell did a Kyurem popped in a place like this?"

"Not just that, but with how we can't reach to the other regions, you think there might be more Legendary Pokémon behind this?" ~ Inquired Peonia, receiving a firm nod from her father.

"With the stuff we just saw? I wouldn't be any less surprised!"

"This only means we gotta do more Dynamax Adventure—"

" **_NO!_ ** " ~ Both Peony and Victor interject the lass, watch her make a rather adorable pout while the pair look seemingly tired.

" _ Only a matter of time before I return home. . . _ " ~ Thinks Victor to his lonesome, with a soft smile growing on his face.

  
  



	5. Champion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Hop decided to indirectly vent his frustration knowing that his best friend isn't there to raise the title by making his brother witness a brutal defeat.

**Nine months ago; Wyndon Stadium; Championship Finals.**

_ "Ladies and gentlemen! Live on GNC, we have a direct feed to the final match of the Galar's famous Gym Challenge! Although it wasn't much of a surprise for our fellow Galarians, both our champion Leon and his opponent who happens to be his younger brother AND hero of our region, Hop, stand in the battlefield with one Pokémon each. We all know that Leon has his undefeated Charizard on his belt, but will Hop entrust his victory to his trustworthy Corviknight?" _

A full stadium. Last time there was one, Victor was standing on the very grass Hop stood, right in the middle of the limelights.

"Alright, Hop! You've given us one hell of a champion time, but you should know, of all people, how incredible my Charizard  **_is!_ ** " ~ A powerful swing of his hand launched the PokéBall into the field, emanating the fiery presence of Leon's mighty Charizard whom released a grand roar into the star-lit heavens!

Hop was. . . Flabbergasted. He made it this far. He  _ won _ to get this far; the same distance that his rival had walked, fought and stood victorious. ~ "Lee. . . Sorry, Leon.

But today's the day you're **getting off your throne!** "

Hop flung his own Poké Ball. 

Or rather, Victor's.

From it emerged a set of linear, yet empowering red wings, linked to a long, blue body with an armor-clad silver chest. Standing on four legs, there he stood. A beast among Dragon-types.

_ "This is a surprise to us all! Ladies and gentlemen; our hero has made a last minute tweak to his team by bringing out a Salamence; a species thought to be inexistent in Galar land! However he got it, we can not determine, but Hop seems to have utmost confidence on the Dragon-type for it to be kept as his last stand!" _

"Okay, buddy. . . Let's win this for Vic, 'kay mate?" ~ An huff of approval exhaled from the Salamence, right before a fine, majestic roar from the draconic beast. Even his older brother, Leon, was shook with this pick.

"That's a pretty great Pokémon, little brother! Can't say I'm not surprised you choose to bring  **his** pokémon for this fight, of all battles! But you are underestimating my partner. ALRIGHT CHARIZARD;  **GIGANTAMAX** !"

The winged lizard was soon back into his Poké Ball, which would be enveloped in Dynamax Energy. The Champion would throw the oversized capsule high into the air, with Charizard gaining it's glorious form and it's grandiose flaming wings! ~ "Alright, Charizard; use  **Max Wyrmi—** "

**"STONE EDGE!"**

What it felt like a swelling pride suddenly turned into a disgusting mixture of fear and shame dwelling within Leon.

As merciless, pointed pillars made of stone emerge at an alarming speed. With the enormous size of the Charizard, it was an obvious hit. Just as fast it grew to it's amazing size, it shrunk, passed out from the brutal hit. And what it felt like a match for the history books, became a match for the century. As the great Goliath of Galar got thwarted by the David of Postwick.

Shock began to settle onto Leon as his mind recovers from the aftermath of such an unexpected defeat. ~ "But— How?" ~ And with a gasp, his hazeled eyes see it.

A Choice Scarf, tied firmly around the blue neck of the powerful Salamence. But of course. The peculiar item granted its holder a boost in their speed. Even then, it turned out it was Leon who underestimated his brother. Snagging his cap, he'd cover his face in order to quench the fueling anger of being defeated— No, shamed in front of thousands by a Salamence, without being Dynamaxed, no less! Twenty-one years, gone by his talented, younger brother. 

"My brother!. . . " ~ A soft mutter would wake him from this bothersome sensation, joy beginning to swell from his very chest as he threw his cap into the air and posed iconically for his crowd, soon accepting his defeat.

**"My time as a champion might be over, but what a champion time it has been!** People of Galar, I present to you our newfound Champions! Hop! And Salamence!"

Leon would soon take one flabbergasted sibing by his shoulders, squeezing them so reassuringly. ~ "Hop! I can't be any prouder than I am now! Congratulations!"

". . . Eh?" ~ One blink of an eye later (along with a prominent glare of his rival's Pokémon by his side). ~ " **EHHH!? I WON?!"**

"Silly, yes!

You're Galar's new Champion! You did it!"

Hop couldn't help it; throwing himself onto the now grumpy-looking Salamence's neck, laughing euphorically. ~ "Mate, we did it! You did it!

We won for Vic!  **_We won for Victor, Salamence!_ ** "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A'ight so, here's how it's going so far;  
> > Hop ends up being the Champion instead of Victor or Gloria;  
> > At this time, Victor is still in Crown Tundra, sorting things out after the Kyurem incident;  
> > Gloria is munching on Doritos with her Inteleon and Garchomp.


	6. Melancholy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hop gets ready, Leon's a blunt idiot and Victor wants his dragon boi back :(

The pros of being Chairman?

You get to spend time with your younger brother by a whopping 1000% of how it was beforehand. Indeed; no more ads, no more promotional battles for the sake of bonding with other regions. Sure, there was the paperwork; god, the **paperwork** , but hey; all for your younger brother!

"Uhh. . . I'm not sure if this looks good. . . ” ~ Spoke one fairly unnerved Hop, wearing the Reigning Champion attire and his oldest sibling's regal cape. Leon shone a bright smile upon his successful brother.

"Nonsense, Hop! My little brother is looking fantastic!"

Hop would be turned toward a mirror nearby, revealing both the Champions in its reflection. ~ "This is you now. And for as long as you humanly can hold that title, you are Galar's Champion; you have to look like one!"

Cue Leon striking his iconic pose. Even though he was stripped from his title, the newfound Chairman still had his fans to adore. Only shows the Galarian loyalty for the older sibling!

Hop would merely stare at his own reflection. He should be feeling happy; achieved even! And yet. . . It felt the exact opposite. Whenever he observed the mirror, he didn't see himself as a Champion, but rather his disappeared rival. Clear skin, brown hair. . . The small, shy smile. The odd sensation of disappointment was suddenly swollen with a comfortable fuzziness at the thought of Victor.

"—op? Are you alright? You're spacing out." ~ Leon shook the smaller boy's shoulders a tad, bringing him back to Earth.

"Eh? Oh! Yeah, yeah! I. . .

I'm okay, Lee."

Leon frowned, yet nodded in understanding. ~ "I'm here for you, lil' brother. Me and. . . This huge pile of paperwork. Sheesh. No wonder why Rose had—"

Upon the mention of that name, Hop visibly winced for obvious reasons.

Rose was the reason why Eternatus returned. Eternatus returned because of Rose. Eternatus blew away his best friend on Earth.

Rose blew away his best friend on Earth.

"Uhh. . . Anyway!" ~ Interjecting, the taller purple haired man quickly dismissed the subject. ~ "I think you and I should get going to Wedgehurst! There's a hour left before the opening of the CT line and surely the great Champion doesn't want to get there late!"

A silent nod resulted from his little reminder, with the smaller boy tugging at the cape a last time before turning heel toward the nearby exit.

"I'll take Salamence. He'll get me there in a jiffy!"

"Not if I beat you first, lil' brother!" ~ Leon's voice was accompanied by the flashing appearance of the so familiar, nearly unbeatable Charizard that invited itself out of the Poké Ball! ~ "C'mon, Charizard; to Wedgehurst!"

Thus, the shattering of the windows from the main office of the Battle Tower would mark their departure, along with the rushed shadows of two majestic creatures soaring through the sunlit sky.

"—es, we are going to need your services again. Yes, Mr. Leon has blasted the window apart once more. For the fourth time this month. . . Yes, I will provide a tip for the inconvenience."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"No dice, eh chum?"

Sighing in defeat, the brunette could only comply toward the words of Peony, who'd apologetically rest their hand atop their smaller shoulder.

"Worry not. The guys here are doing their darndest to get down to the core. As to what, they got no idea. Good thing is, if it weren't for you help at the Lair against Kyurem and his folk a year back, the line wouldn't be able to reopen tomorrow!"

Oh, right. It's been a year already, huh. . ?

Stranded and lost in this snowy scape. If it weren't for Peony, he might've not make it through it all. And yet, a whole year later and he's got no sign of his trusted partner of crimson wings. He's fearing the worst for his poor pal!

"...Oi, Victor. 'S that 'cause of your Salamence? The Tundra's huge, pal; give it time."

"... Yeah, I guess."

"Awesome! NIA! GET THIS BOY A SUIT. TOMORROW WE'RE WELCOMIN' GALARIANS TO THIS FROZEN WASTELAND!"


	7. Unwelcome party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> where the trip to the tundra takes a 180 and a messy front flip, gloria doesn't like where this is going
> 
> and peonia prepares some rad cocoa

It felt like the world went mute.

_ Ba-bump _

The joy of the crowd once the new Chairman and his sibling of a Champion snapped the band that commemorated the brand new line to the southern region, once uncharted Galar. It felt like the world had gone mute

_ Ba-bump. Ba-bump. _

The train had just pierced through the border that separates main Galar from the infamous Crown Tundra when.

_ The world went mute _ .

“ —op! ”

_ Ba-bump. _

“ —ell's—ewt—re!? ”

_ Ba-bump. _

_ "Lee?. . . Gloria?"  _ — The nauseous familiarity of the situation would slowly bring Hop consciousness into a wrecked train. His head throbbed in an immense headache and he swore his arm wasn't in a place it should be. Once his eyesight regained lucidity, he would silently, but very meaningfully exhale his opinion on the matter at hand.

" Crap. ”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“ Oi, Victor. This is bad."

Out came Peony with some wicked device in hand, beeping in an infuriating manner that somehow did nothing toward the impervious former Gym Leader. — “ Dynamax readings. Ultra-mega huge ones. Thinkin' it might be one o' those legendaries going up their noggings again. Right by the fresh Galar line.”

“ Well— ” — Spoke Victor, unamused toward this bit of news. — “ — guess we gotta do something about it, innit? ”

“ Aye. Let's go chum. Sweet 'Nia; do us the favor o' holdin' down the fort. ”

“ Ain't like I can do much, can I? Don't worry, Pa; you'll be home to some nice, cozy Cocoa~! ” — Remarked Peonia in her chirpish tone, seemingly optimistic toward a safe return.

“ 's why you're the best, baby girl. A'ight, Victor.

Bring out the big guy; get us there in a jiffy! ”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“ The hell's a gigantic Mewtwo here?! ” — Gloria expressed her disgusted surprise after coming out with a few scrapes from the crashing train, seeming like the culprit being nothing more than Mewtwo, boosted by the Dynamax Particles from the outskirts of Crown Tundra.

"We've gotta worry about that later; I can't Gigantamax! The band isn't responding!"

“  **What?!** But there's a freaking Dynamaxed Mewtwo right in front of us! How can you  **not Dynamax?!** Wait:

**Where's Hop?!"** — Just as the Galarian lass exclaimed her worried wonder, out came Hop, immediately throwing his Corviknight into the field, tagging along. — "Ohmigod; HOP! !”

Rushing toward her injured companion, she'd quickky slip herself beneath the limping purple haired boy, who'd wince lightly at the abrupt change of balance. — "Ack! We can deal with me later— How's everyone?"

"They're good.” — Leon interjected. — "Raihan, Piers, Kabu and Melony have already guided the light injured to a safe area while the rest ensured the more serious victims would be proceeded with more care. Me and Gloria stood behind to stall that thing but our attacks aren't making much of a dent! I can already see why the Crown Tundra was sealed off. . ."

“Uhh. . . We can worry about that later: Look!”

Just then, a rift in the sky splits open and out from it comes the Sun-eating Beast; Solgaleo! — "Don't tell me that's gonna be joining the frey!"

"Wait. Look closer.

There's people on it's back! Or. . . I hope it's people; the suits really don't help in seeing it clearly.”

“ Aggron; give us some cover. Now's on you to bring that god darned thing to an equal level of play with Fwoofy here. ” — The taller, burly fellow would eject a capsule from his wrist, bringing forth the iron-armored behemoth into the frontline where Leon & Company stood. Quite fluently, Wide Guard was set and ready to block any sort of multi-hit attacks! The Solgaleo; Fwoofy; landed right behind the setup barrier, retreating to its Poké Ball before the much smaller boy's Dynamax Band peculiarly reacted with a blue glow.

“ C'mon, Fwoofy;  **_let's tear them down_ ** ! ” — Shouted the second man, younger, almost, if not of Hop and Gloria's age, before lunging a lucent blue D-Maxed Ball through the hollow space in front of the colossal Mewtwo.

Two massive titans would square off, though while Gloria was downright amazed, Leon inquired on how and why were the Dynamax Aura of Solgaleo blue. As for Hop. . .

He dreaded upon hearing those familiar words from the boy in a space-like suit.

**Author's Note:**

> i promise guys this will make sense and hop will be a happy hop that makes sure you know your type advantages


End file.
